CJI Surya Kant Says Police and Courts Form a Continuous Chain in Delivering Justice
Chief Justice of India says fair investigation, professional policing and adequate support for personnel are essential to strengthening the justice system.
NEW DELHI, Sep 16: Chief Justice of India Surya Kant on Wednesday said policing and judicial proceedings are closely connected, stressing that the quality of the initial stages of a criminal case can have a direct bearing on the delivery of justice.
Speaking at the launch of former Indian Police Service officer O P Mishra’s book, Beyond the Uniform: Duty, Discretion and Public Trust, Justice Kant said a carefully recorded FIR and a fair investigation increase the prospects of justice being delivered in court.
He observed that even a conscientious judiciary may find it difficult to completely address the consequences of shortcomings at the beginning of the legal process.
“The work of the police and the work of the courts form one continuous chain in the administration of justice. The judiciary inherits, quite literally, what the police places before it,” the CJI said.
Justice Kant also praised the police personnel involved in ensuring the smooth conduct of the 18th BRICS Summit. He highlighted the extensive efforts undertaken behind the scenes, including securing routes and venues, managing traffic, protecting places of stay and maintaining round-the-clock vigilance.
The Chief Justice said policing should be guided not merely by adherence to the wording of the law but also by the purpose for which legal powers are entrusted to officers.
He noted that powers relating to investigation, arrest, regulation of movement and maintenance of public order should be exercised as responsibilities entrusted to the police on behalf of citizens.
According to Justice Kant, police responsibilities begin well before a crime, emergency or public-order situation actually develops. Preparation, intelligence gathering, coordination among agencies and identification of vulnerable points are important components of effective policing.
He said some of the most effective police work is preventive in nature, helping ensure that potentially difficult situations do not escalate into crises.
The CJI further emphasised the need to provide police personnel with an environment that enables them to perform their duties with courage, composure and sensitivity.
He said proper training, modern investigative resources, responsible leadership and reasonable working conditions, along with attention to the physical and emotional well-being of personnel, are essential foundations for citizen-friendly policing.
Former Delhi Police commissioner Neeraj Kumar and Sanjaya Baru, former adviser to Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, also addressed the gathering.
